What an executive coach can do for you

by Seth Sinclair, Member

George Whitfield, Jr. calls himself a “quarterback builder.”  Every year, he works with about 70 quarterbacks, from middle-schoolers to professionals, helping them play better in the position some have called the most difficult in sports.

Mr. Whitfield does not roam the sidelines of any team on Saturdays or Sundays, however.  Instead, he is hired by individual players and their families to help young athletes reach their full potential.

“He sees every motion, every movement,” Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, told ESPN. “He makes sure that everything is perfectly organized, exactly in the right place.”

Although Mr. Whitfield wears sweatshirts and shorts to work, and his office is a playing field, he is a true executive coach; helping those who lead the offenses of football teams to do their jobs better.

What is an executive coach?  The International Coaching Federation defines the coaching process as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

At Sinclair Advisory Group, we believe the “partnering” aspect of coaching is of paramount importance.  Coaching is not a process in which the client has questions about particular issues he or she is facing, and the coach provides answers: instead, it is about the kind of work Mr. Whitfield does with young quarterbacks: offering support and objective perspective, helping clients gain clarity on their values and priorities, and building alignment between their organizational and life goals.

We believe coaches should be partners in the journeys of those they coach towards becoming more thoughtful leaders, helping them face their most challenging problems with a clear mind and with measured thinking.  Executive coaches help define goals, ask questions that help their client understand all aspects of issues, and support their clients as they develop a plan of action to “quarterback” their team to solve those problems.

Most clients know the answers to the problems they face at work.  However, their perspective on these issues may be limited, and they don’t have a clear view of how to use their knowledge to get the results they want. Good coaches do not solve their clients’ problems, but facilitate a thinking process that makes solutions evident to clients themselves.

Good coaches also look at their clients’ interactions with others: how their personalities, communication style, and actions help or hinder them in getting their work done.  No leader can succeed without the support of his or her teammates, including subordinates, peers, and supervisors.  If leadership style is getting in the way of that support, the coach can identify the problem and suggest possible changes.

And good coaches look at their clients’ entire life and lifestyle, and identify problems that are holding them back in those areas.  Wellness is an essential part of leadership effectiveness: someone who is in poor health or out of balance will not be able to maximize his or her leadership potential.  At SAG we consider it part of our job to help our clients understand and become aware of the relationship between leadership and wellness.

A good coach asks questions that can help clients’ themselves determine why they may be unhappy in their jobs, or with their career paths; and if they are unhappy, the coach works with them to explore the underlying causes.  The coach can foster better awareness of choices or opportunities that might be available, then work with the client to design actions that can get them out of the ruts they perceive themselves to be in.

Not everyone has the potential to become a professional quarterback—but the methods Mr. Whitfield and skilled executive coaches use can make anyone better able to maximize their professional potential.  Executive coaches make great partners in the game of life, and can make the difference between winning and losing in every field of endeavor.